Chocolate Kisses
by L Ducky
Summary: [High School] Collins is new in the high school. He quickly makes friends with Maureen, and with her anything can happen, including new love. Eventual AngelCollins. Rating may go up.
1. First Day

**Chocolate Kisses**

**Did you ever notice how Collins and Maureen are really close? RENT never explains it, so I came up with a plot for it. And I promise it will get better… and Angel will come up. And the title will be explained in later chapters. If you can guess how, you get a cookie that Angel baked.**

**If I owned it…**

First day of high school. First day of a new school. Fifteen-year-old Tom Collins was scared, to say the least. He was new in the town, new in school, the all-around new kid on the block. Not to mention he was one of the only black kids in this city, not to mention the school. He walked through the glass doors of the building into a world of labels, cliques, and hormones. Looking around, he saw almost all the typical stereotypes. The girls in pink miniskirts were all flirting with the boys wearing designer shirts; the kids in all black were burning old schoolbooks. The boys in white collared shirts were comparing class schedules, and as Collins passed them by, he heard one of them say, "Yes, Mark, we got AP Calculus together!"

Guys with greasy hair and leather jackets leaned up against lockers with expressions on their faces that clearly read _I am trying too hard to be cool_. Tom walked through the hall, feeling every eye on him. He looked down at the yellow slip of paper in his hand. _Locker number 117. Combination: 35-21-42._ He found the locker easily, twisted the black knob, and the small door swung open without a creak. _Thank goodness._ He peered inside. No graffiti, gum, or anything else. _This must be my lucky day…_ He set up the standard locker shelf in silence, and stacked his books inside. He magnet-ed pictured of his friends back home onto the inside of the door, and closed it with a _click_. Now, where the metal door had been was the face of a curvy chocolate-haired girl. She looked him up and down.

"New kid, huh?" she asked.

"Well, yea." He replied, even though he got the feeling it was a rhetorical question.

"That's obvious." She pranced away.

Tom shook his head. She was a strange one. He wondered if he had any classes with her… they were sure to be interesting.

--

English 9. He saw her again, though she was sitting on the other side of the room. Attendance was called, and he learned her name – Maureen Johnson. In that short class period, he quickly learned that she was no one to fool around with – a very opinionated girl with one of the loudest, most commanding voices he'd ever heard. He secretly hoped that he had lunch period with her, so he could get to know her better.

Wait, what?

_What am I thinking?_

_Is this what all my friends back home called a 'crush'?_

_What did they say again…_

_I'll have to call them tonight._

--

By some miracle, he did have the same lunch period as her… but he got there too late. His backpack spilled in the previous class, so he had to gather it all up as quickly as he could. Luckily, he had help from a small boy in his class… he forgot the name. But he had a kind smile, and he was being so generous... Tom scanned the cafeteria for Maureen. She was too interesting just to pass by. He wanted to talk to he helpful boy, too, but he lost track of him once the two of them walked into the halls of the school.

There.

Sitting at a table… alone.

How did she manage that one?

Tom went through the line, getting his food. Once his tray was safely in his hands with his lunch on it, he turned around looking for the table again. And there it was. Still empty, save for Maureen. He waded his way through the sea of people, catching the helpful boy's eye and smiling along the way. He reached the table, and saw it only had one chair left at it, and it was occupied by a patch-covered green backpack.

"Hey, can I sit here?" Tom asked. Maureen looked up in surprise.

"Sure." She shrugged and took the backpack off the seat, placing it under her own.

"Thomas Collins, right? I heard your name in attendance."

"Just Tom is good. Thomas sounds too formal. And you're Maureen Johnson, right?"

"Don't you forget it!" she winked. They both laughed, and the situation became much more comfortable.

"Why were you sitting alone?" Tom asked, at the same time Maureen said,

"You know your name is a drink? Tom Collins?" they both laughed and waited for the other to answer. Collins volunteered first.

"Yea, I knew that, and before you ask it, now I have never had one."

"Oh, that's too bad. They are delicious. Made of gin, lemon juice, club soda and sugar. Don't ask how I know that."

More silence.

"So, why _were_ you sitting alone?"

"Because I usually scare everyone off. Im surprised you haven't left yet."

"Why would I? You're crazy, sure. Loud, defiantly. But, scary? No, not really." Maureen smiled.

"Thanks." She looked down, the flitted her eyes up to look at Tom through her lashes. At the exact right moment, the bell rang. Both of them got up to go to their next class.

"See you tomorrow?" Collins asked.

"Of course!" Maureen replied, and she flounced off. Tom looked at her receding figure and chuckled. _She is one crazy bitch_… she thought to himself.

**End of the first chapter! See if you can guess who the helpful boy is, too!**

**Reviews are Joanne to my Maureen… when they are not fighting.**


	2. Roger

**Chocolate Kisses**

**Don't kill me for this… don't worry his Angel will come. And I'm sorry if the POVs are confusing… there really was no other way for me to get both Collins' and Maureen's thoughts across.**

**Oh, and cookies to those of you who guessed who the helpful boy was correctly as Angel!**

"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?"

"Honey, you've been sitting here without for the past two weeks why are you asking now?" Maureen was still reading her textbook as she replied

"Because your shit's all over the table, and I can't find room."

"Oh." She looked up and saw that her stuff was, indeed, all over the table. She moved her backpack and a few textbooks off the table, which gave Tom just enough room for his lunch tray.

"Why do you still eat that shit?" Maureen poked his try with a look of disgust.

"Because I'm too lazy to pack my own lunch." Tom poked her brown lunch sack. The pair laughed. They launched into their age-old routine of eating, talking, and laughing.

_We could be the perfect couple,_ Maureen thought, _If only he realized it._

She had been flirting with him ever since day two. It had been two weeks… if he was THAT oblivious, there was something wrong. Did he just not pick up? What was going on? She was _Maureen_ for goodness sakes! Well. She would just have to make the first move, now wasn't she?

-

Geometry. Tom's easiest class, excepting Computer Science. Computer Science was easy for everyone.

Mr. Douglas was explaining how the adjacent angles must be equal if two perfectly strait lines crossed. Tom leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He had already done the nights homework in class, he was so bored. A folded piece of paper landed itself on hi desk. His eyes snapped open. Looking up to make sure Mr. Douglas wasn't paying attention, unfolded the note.

_When are you and that Johnson girl gonna ask each other out? – Roger Davis_

Tom looked over at Roger. He had never really talked to him that much, but he seemed like a cool kid. They say 'hi' in the hallways, but that's about it. But what as this about Maureen? Why would he ask her out? Confused, Tom wrote his response.

_I'm not going to. Why would I? – Tom Collins. (Yes, I know it's a drink)_

He flicked the note to his left where Roger was sitting. He saw a smirk play on the rocker's lips.

_You would ask her out because she is all over you, dude. Not to mention that she number two on this school's 'most wanted' list. – Davis_

_Number one being...? – Collins_

_Me, of course. – Davis_

Collins laughed. He decided that he liked this kid. He had spunk.

_Not gonna happen. – Collins_

The bell rang. Tom saw Roger approach him on the way out the door.

"Think about it, man," He said. "You two would make a nice couple. She already wants you obviously. All you gotta do is ask."

"But what if I don't want to go out with her…?"

"Why not, dude? You've seen the guys everywhere! Goo-goo eyeing her… c'mon man, you are the luckiest kid in school right now." Then he laughed. "Unless you're gay. See you around, Collins."

Gay?

He'd been called plenty of things before… but never gay.

Whatever.

He shook the thought off and walked to his locker and gathered his homework. He heard his best friend before he saw her coming.

"Hi, Tom!"

"Hey, Mo'" he greeted her back. They chatted for a bit at the locker, then walked together - still chatting - out the door.

"It's infuriating! I don't see why-"

"Mo, you're making a molehill into a mountain."

"No, I just don't see why a girl can't-"

"Why do you even care? You're not in choir!"

"Because it's women's rights!"

"Girls can't join Boy Scouts either."

"Because we have Girl Scouts already-"

"And we have a girl's chorus and a boy's chorus." Tom interrupted her.

"But if a girl's voice is low enough-"

"I _agree_ with you, Mo. I just think you're making this into too big of a deal."

"I am _not!_" Tom chuckled. Once she set her mind on something, there was no going back, was there?

"What are you thinking about?" Maureen's voice chopped through his thoughts.

"You." He answered without thinking. He saw her smile and blush, and his mind flickered back to his and Davis' conversation in geometry.

… _Because she is all over you, dude…_

…_She already wants you obviously. All you gotta do is ask…_

Shit. He should not have said that… she thought it was in a romantic sense! He turned his head to her, trying to get his point across as clear as possible.

"Not that I-"

"Tom… it's okay…" she interrupted him. "I like you, too." Then she leaned forward and took him completely by surprise with a kiss. He could tell she was trying to really _kiss_ him, but this was _nothing_ like he had imagined as a first kiss. Yes, his first.

_Real smooth, Collins. Your first kiss with someone you don't even like._

He pulled away, embarrassed.

"My- My parents. They're expecting me home…" he trailed off, happy for any excuse to be away from her for a little bit. Was she his girlfriend now? _Girlfriend_… the word didn't sound quite right.

"Right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She winked at him and practically skipped away.

_Well, at least one of us is happy._

**Like I said… don't kill me! –ducks at a flying tomato- WHO THREW THAT?**


	3. My Maureen?

**I'm grounded for the next week, but not this weekend, so I thought I'd put something up here, and I didn't feel like working Hola, so I'm working on this. Anyhow, Happy (belated) birthday to Santa Fe Angel – this chapter is her birthday present.**

**Oh, and I needed an Angel-PoV in this chapter, but it somehow came out in first person, not like Collins-PoV, but it just would not change back. So Angel's PoV is in 1st, everything else is in 3rd.**

Many awkward moments followed that odd afternoon. Maureen started calling Tom every day, wanting to talk for hours after they had just spent all lunch, break, and after school walking and talking together. There were many times when their faces came that close… but never quite touched. They didn't kiss or hug or hold hands or anything, but they were supposed to be going out.

_This really doesn't feel right…_

Tom and Roger continued to pass notes all through Geometry, mainly talking about what a psycho Maureen was.

_I went to elementary school with her,_ Roger wrote one day. _We never really hung out or anything – well, we kinda hated each other – but I know how crazy she can get._

Even his mom was getting annoying about it.

"We hear from this Maureen girl quite a lot. Is she your girlfriend?"

"I guess." Tom shrugged. His mother's face lit up in a grin

"Why didn't you tell me? Oh, my little Tommy's all grown up! Have you gone on any dates? What was your first kiss like? Oh, tell me everything!"

"Mom, this is why I didn't tell you… I knew you'd get like this! I don't want to talk." Her face fell.

"Well… when you want to, I'm right here."

_Girlfriend…_ it still didn't sound right.

**- Angel PoV -**

The first day of school was nerve-wracking enough, why does every other day in high school have to be just as bad? Mimi's at a totally different school… I miss her. I called her first chance I got… last night.

- Flashback -

_Ring ring_

"_Hola, casa del Marquez._ Hello, Marquez residence" I heard Mimi's voice.

"Mimi-chica!"

"Angel-baby!"

"_Lo siento_, chica, I got busy and-" (I'm sorry)

"_Nada_, chica, _nada_," (nothing, no worries) Mimi interrupted me, laughing. "I've been busy, too. High school, hot _chicos_, _tarea_, how will I handle it all?" (_chicos_: boys, _tarea_: homework) I laughed. That was my Mimi, always thinking of boys, boys, and more boys. We went to a small middle school together, and it was no secret there that I was gay. But here… really only one person knows. She went to the same school – Maureen Johnson. I've only seen her in one of my classes so far… no, wait. She has the same lunch as me.

"How about you, chico… any cute guys at your school?"

_The one I helped on the first day of school?_ His chocolate-colored face ran through my head. I never thought about it before, but he was really cute… but,

"He's going out with Maureen."

"Poor thing."

"So what? I've fallen for straight ones before… I'll get over it eventually."

"I meant him."

"Oh." I giggled. It was kind of true… poor chocolate-cute-guy.

**- Back to Collins -**

Avoiding her seemed to be the best solution. Maureen was getting too attached for him to end it completely… she had to take part in it somehow. _What am I gonna do?_ He asked himself over and over again.

"Thomas, are you alright?" his mother stared at his fully rearranged, completely full, plate.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just not hungry." Red alert in mom's head.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Do you want to talk-"

"Leave the boy alone, Carol. If he's not hungry, he's not hungry. He doesn't need to eat. He just can't get a midnight snack. Right, son?"

"But, Jay, he's so thin!"

"You're always saying that. He looks fine to me."

"Mom? Dad? I'm… right here."

"Of course, dear." His mother nervously laughed. They went back to eating in uncomfortable silence.

Two bites and ten minutes later, Tom asked if he could be excused. His mother looked concerned, but his father spoke first.

"Sure, but no late-night snack later. Right?"

"Sure." Tom picked up his plate, wrapped it in tin foil, and put it in the refrigerator. He walked to his room and sat on his bed, thinking about what to say to Maureen.

_Mo, I really don't feel right dating you… _no.

_Hey, Reen, can I talk to you? Hey, listen. We're friends right? Well, more, but that's what I wanted_ – no.

_Maureen, I can't date you anymore. I don't know why, but can we still be friends?_ Pathetic.

_Maureen… look, you're one of my best friends and we tried this dating thing for a while, but I just don't think it's working. Can we go back to just being friends?_

It was worth a shot.

**And with that, I leave you for a week… again. Extremely sorry, all! And I still have about 100 FF-bots to catch up on… I love you all, see you when I'm not grounded!**


End file.
